It has happened again. A powerful bomb in a water tank ripped through a bazaar in Quetta, Baluchistan. Target, as usual were the residents of Hazara Town (victims - Shias of Pakistan). Eight Hundred kilograms of explosives were packed in the tanker. It was placed near a pillar of two-storey building, which collapsed in the blast. Around 100 people have been killed so far, including children and women. More than 250 have been seriously injured. As usual and expected, a spokesman for the militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed the responsibility for the bombing.

And the same lukewarm reactions from government of Pakistan – Governor Baluchistan Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi announced a day’s state mourning. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister expressed their routine condemnation for the unfortunate incident. They announced their firm determination never to bow down before terror, and promised suitable action by the government in due course of time. Of course, I didn’t hear the compensation talk so far.

In
Focus

Let me remind the readers that at least 93 people were killed and 150 were injured on Jan 10 this year only, in the same city, at a Snookers Cub and other places when two suicide bombers blew themselves up.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is the armed wing of Wahabiyat. They follow the edicts of Deoband and their monetary umbilical cord is connected to Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other middle- east emirates. I’m humbly asking the reverend scholars of Deoband, Nadwatul Uloom, Al-Azhar, Riyad and Nejd: “Sir, is it permissible in Islam to shed the blood of INNOCENTS in the name of RELIGION?” I know sir, your answer would be an explicit NO. If it is the case then why you are not coming out openly and condemning these heinous acts? Do little soul search sirs; go into retrospect; check if even once this brutalized Shia community ever reacted with the same ferocity in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. Instead, some years back, Allam Sajid Naqvi, the leader of Shia Organization Tehreek-e-Jafriya had said: “We shall keep putting our martyrs into the graves and we shall not respond!”

Why the religious institutions of Sunni Muslims are not coming forward? Why are they not condemning these barbaric acts? Why are they not asking their followers to stop this madness? Why are they not taking initiative and telling the Shia community upfront what they are expected to do to buy peace?

Regarding the Government of Pakistan, the least is said the better it is. For all practical purposes it doesn’t exist. I’m not well aware of the complications involved and if it is possible for the Government of India to take up the matter to international forums. Meanwhile, the human right organizations of India and the West should stave off their anti-Iran plank. The shias of Pakistan, Iraq or Afghanistan are also human beings. Ask the perpetrators and their backers to stop this senseless one-sided killing.

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